Meet DaShawn Glymph

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful DaShawn Glymph a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

DaShawn, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

I had to learn early on not too many people have the background or experiences I do whether via race, struggle, creativity, or oppression. Being the best dressed & most well-mannered didn’t mean I would be the most understood or respected. So, I made sure my MINDSET was not only respected, but it could also be translated into almost every room. Especially ones where I’m the only one who looks like me. I learned that being able to translate your thoughts & creativity (for me) is about being open, vulnerable, clear in communication, strong minded, making sure your work ethic is apparent, & most importantly it’s clear I had a disciplined mindset for QUALITY. I come from seeing so many people not fight for better, even for themselves. I not only vowed to never allow myself to be in that space in any way, shape, or form but to also hopefully give others the tools to do the same. A lot of people today are only for self. So, I almost always surprise in every room when they find out about how much I do, give back, & want to help given my circumstances of upbringing. That in itself usually impresses, & then they hear the music finally & their sold. But my success starts from QUALITY of mindset, production, & integrity. Blessed enough to say it has gotten me pretty far & my latest project out EVERYWHERE now under LegenDary – Live.Love.LegenDary is proof of the evolution.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I started doing music when I was 6 years old, doing hip hop battles when I was 8 years old, & then took music seriously at the age of 15 after my brother Devin Topps was murdered. I hadn’t been a stranger to losing people to violence, but through his spirit & my passion I found the ambition to pursue everything at one point I thought was impossible. I went on my first musical tour along the west coast at 15 & from there I thought nothing was impossible. I would eventually go on to start multiple endeavors that gracefully music would open the doors for. From artist/model management, brand managing multiple different demographics artistically/technologically venture wise, screenwriting films/videos, coaching, committing to outreach for the youth/less fortunate, designing, & so much more. I was never the kid that was anyone’s “first choice”. I came from a very broken & abusive home where I was set to be on my own since the age of 14 officially. I wasn’t the super “popular” guy or was never the “best” at anything. But I think it was special how because I was the BEST at being ME, being persistent in my dreams, being a maniac creative, & making everyone else feel involved/invited that opened the doors. To me further proving how music is the bridge to all things.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

For me I’d say remaining ambitious, creative, & goofy were the biggest impacts of resiliency on my journey. You have to be intense with ambition just to see your creativity created, let alone actually present it to the rest of the world. So, in some ways you have to have this higher than doubt belief of yourself because even when you’re not your BEST self, you KNOW you’ll put in the work to craft perfection. No matter who doubts it. Which also leads to the goofiness & creativity because even though you have this higher thought of self, when it comes to creating you have to take chances. Which means you have to experiment sometimes & most importantly have fun enjoying the process & the little things. Otherwise, you’ll face burnout you can’t recover from. The main advice I give to ANYONE in almost ANY field is you have to LOVE the process to love what you do. If you don’t like hitting the gym doing workouts, chances are you won’t be a pro athlete. So, if you don’t like spending countless hours in the studio or writing trying to put what’s in your mind in word form functionality picture to the rest of the world, you probably won’t be a musician. So LOOOOOVE what you do & do what you love & DON’T STOP putting in the time. Eventually something will stick or the RIGHT door will open when you were trying to go through the left. And remember, hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I definitely am looking to collaborate with, connect with, work with, & even mentor multiple likeminded partners & creatives. For me I value authenticity, integrity, creativity, open minded communication. & people with ambitious wills to want to win/takeover. I personally love working with people who (like me) want to win more than sleep, eat, & be comfortable. People with unbridled levels of determination are my favorite. If that’s you, we can connect more directly on my Instagrams. @LegenDary1x is my personal page & @LegacyModelsManagement is the management page.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All images shot by Tre Saunders

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